Beyond the Pleasure Principle
by CerberusCroft
Summary: Lara and Sam aren't getting along so well, it seems. Lara decides to treat herself to a little break in Rome, attending the Global Archaeology Congress. (I'll fix the formatting soon)
1. Chapter 1

Before we begin;

English isn't my first language and I have no one to proof read this. I've done my best to get all of the spelling errors out, and I think I've done somewhat of a good job, but there are probably some in there, still.

I'm writing this because first and foremost I'd like to increase my English and my writing skills. Secondly, I quite like the rebooted Tomb Raider franchise, hence why I've written a TR story. Originally, I've had an idea for an entire epic revolving around this story, but realized I'm far too lazy to finish that, so it ended up being a short story instead. Also, because I am lazy I write chapters slowly. I've gotten 3 chapters done, and I expect there to be about 5 or 6 in total. Please don't expect me to update regularly. (That is, if people are even interested in this story)

Enjoy.

* * *

The squeaking leather boots on the hardwood floor didn't seem to bother Sam as Lara's right leg shook up and down relentlessly. Lara couldn't stand the squeaking. Which would make you think it was solvable by just stopping, but Lara couldn't help the nervous tick. She even pushed her hand down on her right thigh hoping to keep her leg in check. It didn't help and she decided to move her hand to her mouth instead, so she could continue biting her nails. She glanced at Sam who was sitting across from her at the kitchen table. Sam looked dreadful as her hair was in complete disarray and the skin around her eyes showed that sleep was a luxury she rarely experienced anymore. She was busy looking down at her food, not paying attention to anything except swirling her, probably cold, spaghetti around with her fork. The kitchen was a mess. Hell, the entire manor still was. Lara and Sam had moved back in the manor some months ago, after Lara had finally given into Sam's insatiable begging for months. Lara didn't want to move back in, because she didn't feel like being reminded of the past. But Sam managed to convince her it was the right thing to do. Boy was she wrong, as expected. Which is why they weren't even half finished unpacking. Lara didn't feel like it. Sam didn't either, although Lara wasn't entirely convinced Sam wanted to actually live here anymore. For example, normally Sam had about 46 thousand different outfits, now she was perfectly content with about 5, swapping them every day so she'd had something to wear for the entire week. She didn't really get dressed in the weekend, anyway, because she'd stay in bed. Her attitude dragged Lara down, as well. The result of it all was that the manor was littered with half emptied boxes. The half of the contents that did make it out of the box, rarely reached further than the floor surrounding the box.

"Not hungry?" Lara asked carefully. She wasn't even sure why she asked. Sam hadn't eaten properly in weeks, never finishing her dinner. It showed. Her skin was pale and her face was thinner than usual. She pressed her lips together and looked at Sam intensively, waiting for a response. So intensively, even, that she stopped moving her leg for a few seconds. Now, the only sound in the kitchen was the echoing of Sam scraping her fork over her plate, while she moved her food around. There was no response, however, and quickly the squeaking resumed. "I got another email from professor Atkins today," Lara continued. It felt as if her words kind of drifted away in the wrong direction. As if the soft scraping and squeaking were the dominant sounds in the kitchen and her words didn't really have a place there and then. Sam didn't even look up but Lara continued nonetheless. "A reminder, again, asking if I want to come to the Global Archeology Congress in Rome next week. I didn't reply to him yet." Only scraping and squeaking. Lara didn't really feel like the congress in Rome would be that interesting. However, it would give her a chance to get away from the house. And, more importantly; away from Sam. Mind you, she didn't dislike Sam. Hell, she still loved Sam as much as ever. Lara just didn't know what to do with her anymore. Or how to act around her... or what to say to her. They got together, you know - as a couple, a couple of months before Sam had her breakdown and she was sent to a mental institute. What was meant to be the relationship they were both yearning for, turned into the biggest stress factor of their lives. Lara was worried she'd have nightmares, PTSD episodes and the whole shebang from Yamatai. And Siberia. But no. This. This… relationship, if you could still call it that, was the one and only thing that was driving Lara to the brink of insanity. "I think I'm going to go. To the congress, I mean," Lara said sheepishly and suddenly the scraping of Sam's fork stopped and, instinctively, Lara stopped moving her leg, as well. The only thing Lara could hear now was her own breathing through her nostrils as she pressed her lips tightly together, and anxiously waited for a reply. Sam slowly looked up, her eyes empty and dark. When Lara had first met her, back in uni, Sam her eyes were full of joy, full of excitement. As if they couldn't wait to start seeing, and filming, the entire world. Now, they were dead. Like eyes who had stared the hooded, scythe wielding death straight in his eyes and were now regretting not having gone with him to the other side. Lara felt goosebumps form under her fingers as she nervously, and without reason, itched her arm. "I think it'll be good for me," she continued reluctantly and looked down at the table. "I can meet some people that work in the same field and... stuff. I-... I mean, I'll have to start doing that at some point, right?" she swallowed. "And I'd b-..."

"Okay," Sam said, not letting Lara finish her sentence. The sudden sound from Sam startled Lara and she quickly looked up at her, though Sam was already playing with her food again.

"You can come with me, if you'd like," Lara replied, nervously shifting on her seat. Now her heart was pounding in her throat. After what seemed like an eternity, Sam firmly shook her head, to Lara's delight. "Are you sure?" Lara bit her lip. She really didn't want Sam to know she wanted to go alone. Please say no, please say no, please say no.

"Eh, that's your thing, Lara," Sam groaned as she suddenly stood up. "Plus, I don't feel like listening to a lot of boring people speak about a lot of boring things." Thank God. Sam probably said that to offend her, but Lara didn't care. She'd much rather listen to boring people for three days than stay here.

Sam walked towards the bin and threw her food away. She had gotten skilled at that the last few weeks, and flung the contents of the whole plate into the bin in one swipe without even looking. Lara still prepared food for Sam, hoping that one day she would start eating properly again. As if that would be the source of Sam her behaviour. Sam didn't cook anymore. Then again, she didn't really do anything anymore. She just sits on the couch playing with her phone or watch TV. Or sleep.

"I'll be leaving on Sunday," Lara said as she got up, as well. She didn't have to clean up her plates, or the pans, or, well, anything because she already had. About 30 minutes ago when she was finished with her food. She'd leave Sam alone at the table playing with her food, but that would mean an entire evening of fighting, again.

Sam left her plate on the kitchen counter rather than putting it in the dishwasher, as Lara had requested about 79 billion times by now, and walked away towards the living area. Lara wisely decided to ignore it to avoid unnecessary confrontation. She sighed. It was so tiresome to constantly watch her words and actions just to avoid Sam getting angry, sad or scared. Soul-crushing, was probably a better word for it. Lara wasn't really sure how much longer she was able to put up with Sam her behaviour. She had tried to help Sam. Of course she did. But nothing helped. It didn't help that she told Sam she was there for her, or that she needed professional help. It was useless to confront her about it, and it was just as useless to ignore her behaviour. Sam didn't listen to Lara when she would tell her over and over again that there was really something wrong with her. It was equally horrible to see Sam so unhappy and miserable. She just wanted Sam to be happy. And, hopefully, be happy herself, too.

She picked up the plate and put it in the dishwasher. Lara remembered a night not so long ago where she was literally begging Sam to tell what was wrong with her. Sam had been mad at her for not coming home early enough after Lara had scavenged through the city trying to look for a book she needed. She'd been furious, actually. Lara didn't really know why, but she gave up trying to make sense of it all a long time ago. They had a fight, and Sam actually came close to hitting Lara in her face, for crying out loud. It scared the hell out of her. Not so much the pain that would follow, but the fact Sam was able to do that. To actually have the heart to do that. She would rather die than to hurt Sam intentionally. Sam managed to contain herself at the last possible second, but Lara had seen the fury in her eyes. Later that same night she decided to confront Sam about it. She had been sitting in front of the TV staring at it blankly. With her cheeks still wet from her tears she begged Sam. She pleaded to tell her what was wrong. Told her that if it helped hitting her, she could. Begged her to tell her what she could do to make things better. That she yearned for answers. But it didn't help. Nothing ever helped. There was no more emotion coming out of Sam. No more feelings. No more love.

Lara pushed some papers away and flicked on the small lamp on the messy desk she was sitting behind in the study room. Well, probably more of a library than a study room judging by the amount of books gathered in bookcases alongside the walls. Generally, Lara would spend her evenings deep in those books, but she didn't feel like it. She never did anymore. She was feeling too depressed which killed the mood. She tried, of course. Countless times. But whenever she started reading one of her notes, one of her father's' discoveries, or anything really, she'd get distracted by her thoughts. Her thoughts about Sam and what had gone wrong. Not just when she had attacked someone and got arrested, but before that, as well. It was noticeable how Sam's mental health was deteriorating over time. Getting worse every single day. It wasn't that noticeable when they first left Yamatai, but over the course of the following months, it got more obvious every day that something was dreadfully wrong with Sam. She had hoped it would have gotten better when Sam got fired from the mental institute, but it wasn't. It had gotten worse. And there was nothing Lara could do about it.

Lara fetched her laptop and put it in front of her, on the desk. After booting it up, she went to the email she had read earlier today from Professor Atkins.

 _From: Prof. Atkins_

 _Subject: RE: GAC Rome_

 _Lara, I still didn't get a reply from you. Are you sure you don't want to come? I've told you about the "Myths and Legend" panel we're holding in the C-wing this time, right? I think you should come, my dear. It will be good for you._

 _A._

Professor Atkins teaches Classical Archaeology at Oxford University. Lara's father, Richard Croft, had actually been a student of Professor Atkins. That should give a rough indication of how old Professor Atkins was at this point. Atkins had always admired her father for his determination and perseverance. And even when all archeological and historical institutes, newspapers and even Lara herself discredited him, Atkins still stood firmly behind him. Lara closed her eyes for a moment. She really didn't want to think about her father. Not now, anyway.

 _To: Prof. Atkins_

 _Subject: RE: GAC Rome_

 _Dear Professor Atkins,_

 _I do apologize for my late reply; I have not been feeling well lately. All better now so it would be an absolute honor to attend the Global Archeology Congress next week._

 _Do you know who will be speaking at the Myths and Legends panel?_

 _Regards,_

 _Lara Croft_

She stared at the email for a few minutes. Was this really the right thing to do? Leave Sam in the state she was in, even if it was only for three days? Though, in fairness, Lara had tried everything she could for Sam for the past few months. She tried to be there for her every single day. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe the solution was a bit of time apart? Who knows, perhaps the solution was permanent time apart. She decided to hit the send button. Then, she spent some time booking her flight and transportation from the airport, until a notification popped up in the lower right corner of her screen. She clicked on it. It was a reply from Atkins.

 _From: Prof. Atkins_

 _Subject: RE: GAC Rome_

 _Great to hear, Lara! I'm looking forward to seeing you again. I won't be attending the first day, but I'll be arriving on Tuesday._

 _We currently have three speakers planned for the Myths and Legends panel; Prof. Vijfhart, Prof. Francis and Prof. Stein. Perhaps you've met them before?_

 _A._

She hadn't met any of them, actually. Hell, she had never even heard of them before. Maybe that was another good reason to go; to get some networking done in her field. Just before she got lost in her own thoughts about how she'd neglected getting involved in her father's field, her phone buzzed. She reached for her pocked and got it out. It was a text from Jonah.

 _ **Jonah** : Little bird, hey. What's up?_

 _ **Lara** : About to head to bed. You?_

 _ **Jonah** : Are you not feeling well?_

 _ **Lara** : Why?_

 _ **Jonah** : It's not even 9PM?_

 _ **Lara** : Just tired._

 _ **Jonah** : OK...can we meet?_

 _ **Lara** : Now?_

 _ **Jonah** : Whenever. I haven't seen you in such a long while. And you never talk to me anymore, little bird._

Lara looked away from the screen for a second. He was right, she never contacted him anymore. She knew why, but she didn't want to tell him. It'd be best if he would be kept out of this drama.

 _ **Lara** : I'm busy this week. Next week, as well._

 _ **Jonah** : With what? Can I help?_

 _ **Lara** : Going to Rome. GAC._

 _ **Jonah** : You're so vague, Lara. What's GAC? When are you going? Is Sam coming?_

 _ **Lara** : Just an event, Jonah. About archeology. It's next week. And no, Sam isn't coming._

Lara sighed as she pressed send again. She knew Jonah was just worried about her, but she just wanted to be left alone.

 _ **Jonah** : Week after that, then. Let's meet then?_

 _ **Lara** : OK._

Her phone buzzed one more time, but she locked it, and put it back into her pocket. She leaned back in the soft leather chair and sighed. Time for bed. There wasn't really a reason to stay awake anymore, anyway. She was actually starting to look forward to the congress in Rome. Hopefully Sunday would come quickly. Just as she wanted to get up from her chair, the door to the study room opened. Lara held her breath as Sam stepped inside. Lara could see her eyes were red, as was the skin around her eyes. She had been crying. Lara waited for her to say something, but Sam was just staring at her.

"Sam? A-are you okay…?" Lara asked hesitantly, slowly getting up from her chair. She had her eyes fixed on Sam. She never really knew how to handle situations like these, but braced herself for the worst.

"I can't believe you're fucking leaving me!" Sam yelled angrily as she pointed at Lara, her finger trembling. Lara should've been surprised, anyone would, but she'd seen this happen many times before. It was scary, really. These nasty moods would never happen before Sam had her mental breakdown, obviously. Before, Sam was just… Sam. It was hard to describe her. She was just everything Lara needed her to be. The old Sam, anyway. Not this one.

"What do you mean? I'm… I'm right here… I'm not leaving you," Lara replied. She decided the best approach would be a calm one. She was probably having one of her episodes. "Seriously, Sam," Lara continued as she slowly paced towards her. She could see, and hear, Sam breathing heavily, as her chest moved up and down. There was a sense of terror in the air, as if something was about to go horribly wrong. Lara felt it. "I'm here for you. Always." She put her hands on Sam's cheeks as she reached her and wiped away a tear with her thumb.

"No!" Sam pushed her hands away. Her sudden outburst made Lara's muscles tense up, a very common reflex for her at this point. She barely managed to keep herself from getting in a fighting stance. Sam was definitely having one of her episodes. "You're going to leave me, I know it!" She took a step back and looked at Lara as if she had done something horrible to her. A look Lara had seen before, unfortunately.

"You aren't talking about me going to Rome, right? That's only for three days..," Lara replied, though her words barely made it out of her mouth.

"Are you kidding me? We used to do everything together!" Sam growled, as her eyes lit up with fury. "And suddenly, you decide to go alone to some stupid congress about stupid things!"

"W-... what?" Lara stuttered dumbfounded. She frowned and raised her finger at Sam. "I asked you if you wanted to come, but you said no! Not even three hours ago! What's wrong with you?!" Lara yelled frustrated. Frustrated with the fact this happened every other week. Frustrated that, every time it did happen, it was always Lara's fault, somehow. This wasn't the Sam she fell in love with. Sadness and anger filled her body. Lara felt like she was ready to storm out the door and just leave now. Leave and not come back. Although those feelings quickly disappeared when Sam stepped forward and swiftly pressed her lips against Lara's. The suddenness of the situation left Lara bewildered and made her unable to react straight away as Sam's lips softly greeted her own. The angerness in her body quickly made place for an electric feeling that soared through Lara her veins. Sam moved her left hand to Lara's cheek as the other hand moved to her side. Lara's eyes were still wide open as Sam parted her lips slightly. The combination of the adrenaline still in her body from Sam's outburst and endorphin from the sudden kissing made Lara her entire body heat up. Her heart was racing as Sam pushed her back until Lara's butt reached the desk she had just been sitting behind. It was crazy how quickly Sam managed to swing the mood around. She finally kissed back when she felt Sam's tongue make its way into her mouth. Lara wanted to put her arms around her, but she was pushed onto the table as Sam took charge, completely disregarding all of the notes, journals and papers lying on the table. Lara was now laying on her back on the table but with her feet still on the floor, and Sam leaned over her to continue her sensual and affectionate attack on Lara. The swirling of their bodies and limbs caused papers to fall off left and right. A million thoughts ran through Lara her mind when Sam her fingers lifted up Lara her shirt and traced fingers over her ribs. The desk was old, and creaked with every movement their intertwined bodies made. Goosebumps formed on her skin. Sam accidentally knocked over a box next to the desk. Books tumbled out, but neither of the girls paid attention. Their kiss was sloppy, and sexy, their lips now wet from their exchanged saliva. Lara was pretty much out of breath after a full minute, but she didn't want to stop kissing. She never wanted to stop again. Sam ran her fingers across her bare stomach, slowly following the contours of Lara her abdominal muscles, which were slightly more prominent than usual because she was leaning backwards. Lara managed to let out a moan through their kissing. After a few seconds, Sam her fingers reached the waistband of the jeans Lara was wearing and teasingly lingered there for a while, slowly caressing Lara's skin, as the girls continued their oral embrace.

It hadn't taken long for Sam and Lara to have sex after they got together as a couple. They were on vacation. Sam had wanted to go to a place where the beaches were white and the climate was tropical, and in contrast, Lara wanted to go sightseeing. They decided to meet somewhere in the middle and go to Key West, with white beaches and a tropical climate. And no sightseeing... Obviously. Though, it didn't turn out as bad as Lara initially thought. For starters, she got to see Sam in a bikini constantly. Plus, the beaches weren't that bad. One night they were around a campfire at the beach. It was late and most people had already left. The girls their conversation had shifted to their friendship. Maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was the warm weather, maybe it was the constant bikini's, whatever it was Sam had finally confessed. Confessed what she felt about Lara and how she couldn't imagine a life without her. Confessed that she thought about Lara constantly and that she didn't want that to change, ever. And Lara told her those feelings were mutual. And she was certain the bikini's and liquor had absolutely nothing to do with that.

That same night, back in their bungalow, they had sex. It was frightening at first. Terribly frightening. She remembered how much she was shaking, and, same as the moment Lara found herself in now, a million thoughts had ran through her mind. Was it a good idea? Did she actually want this? Was it was too soon? But when Sam her tongue finally reached her nether region, after trailing, very slowly and very teasingly, across her naked body, nothing else in the world mattered anymore. It was so good there wasn't a chance in the world Lara could describe it. Not with words, anyway. All the feelings of guilt, tension, panic and doubt washed away and made place for pure ecstasy, lust and pleasure. It felt then as if they belonged there, naked on the bed, their sweaty bodies squirming and sliding against each other. And the next morning, when Lara was getting dressed, Sam had asked her not to. She asked her stay naked and in bed. She said she wanted to touch her body. Everywhere. She wanted to explore her entirely and make sure not an inch on her body was skipped. She said she couldn't keep her hands off of her anymore. That she just looked too good not to. Then she put her words into action and Lara eagerly returned the favour. The entire morning and early afternoon was spent touching each other, cuddling and exploring. Sam was a little dominant in bed, but so loving, and so caring. Then, finally, in the early evening, they talked. Talked about everything that came up in their minds. About the doubt they had at first, about their friendship, about the past, about the future… about everything. But the way Sam looked at Lara, the way she touched her and talked to her made Lara confident that this wasn't a mistake. It had been the best decision in her life.

Unfortunately, it didn't last. Sam changed. She became depressed, angry and bitterness took control of her. In the last few months, the sex was almost non-existent. Just once in awhile Sam would want to have sex. Completely out of the blue and in the most bizarre situations. The loving and caring was gone. Lara never minded the sex, hell, the sex was amazing. She just never expected it to be void of caring. Or love.

Lara was snapped back to reality when she felt Sam pull back from her lips and at the same time move her hand downwards, into her pair of boxers. Since Lara was laying backwards on the table, the waistband of her jeans was lifted up slightly because of her hip bones, so Sam had no trouble reaching her crotch. Lara gasped and jolts of electricity shot through her as she laid her head on the table. With her other hand Sam grabbed both Lara's hands and pinned them above her head on the table she was laying on. Sam grinned. She recognized the grin. Sam, standing next to the table, moved her face directly above Lara's, not even an inch above her lips. Such a mischievous and naughty grin. Sam placed her index and middle finger on either side of Lara her vagina, close enough to make her moan, but not close enough to satisfy.

"Ah," was the only sound Lara could utter in Sam's mouth and she closed her eyes.

"I can already feel how wet you are," Sam discovered. "Do you want me to touch you?" she asked lustfully. "Do you want me to slide a finger inside you, Lara? Is that what you want?"

"P-please. Yes... please," Lara groaned, her muscles tensing. God, she was so horny now. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. As was her groin.

"Ask nicely," Sam demanded. Lara opened her eyes again and they were met with Sam's, looking at hers playfully. Lara her heart nearly pounded her chest open. The jolts of electricity intensified and she balled her fists and curled her toes in anticipation.

"Please… Please, slide your finger inside me," Lara sighed. She had a hard time getting the words out of her mouth. Sam always said Lara was a bit prude, because she rarely liked to dirty talk. But that meant it was even hotter when Sam made her do ito. Lara moaned even harder when she felt Sam her finger penetrate her. They kept looking each other directly in the eyes, as if studying each other's facial expressions, as Sam's finger slowly moved in and out of her, Lara still moaning softly in Sam's face. Lara was so wet even the littlest movement inside her made slippery sounds. She tried to kiss Sam, but Sam pulled back. Lara pouted.

"I want to see your face react to this," Sam explained slyly, as she continued to finger Lara. She moved her other finger, Lara didn't know which one of the two, to Lara's clitoris and teasingly placed it on top of it. Lara shut her eyes in response, her entire body now left like it was on fire.

"Oh...Oh my God, Sam," Lara could barely make her words audible. She felt a familiar feeling build up in her crotch. She wanted to touch Sam. She wanted to have her naked body against her own. She tried to move her arms, but Sam kept them pinned down. Lara was stronger, and could probably break free without too much effort, but she didn't. She loved it when Sam took control. Lara's body temperature was reaching what felt like a boiling point when Sam retracted her fingers. It was met with a disappointed growl from Lara. Sam slowly removed her hand from Lara her jeans, but kept her other hand in place to keep Lara pinned down. Lara was filled with lust. She wanted to cum. Her head was spinning. She wanted to cum now. Sam held her hand up and they both looked at it. Evidently, Sam had used her middle finger inside Lara because it was completely covered in her wetness, glistening in the light of the desk lamp. Sam played with her wetness for a while. A little even dripped off her finger and landed near Lara's belly button.

"You're so naughty," Sam said playfully.

"Please, Sam…," Lara managed to moan.

"Please what?" Sam asked, pseudo-confused.

"Finger me more, make me cum, please…," Lara begged as her body squirmed on the table. But Sam didn't listen. She grinned even wider than before and moved her fingers towards her own mouth. Slowly and seductively she slid her finger inside her own mouth before closing her lips around it and sucking Lara's wetness off. Lara could just look at her. Look how her lips slightly parted, cheeks red as ever. Look at how her girlfriend was tasting her wetness. Tasting the finger that was inside of her not ten seconds ago.

"God, you always taste so nice," she whispered as she retracted her finger again.

"Make me cum, please?" Lara pleaded immediately, and pouted.

"Do you want a taste?" Sam ignored her. Lara knew straight away what that meant; she was just teasing her. She loved teasing Lara. She loved long sex sessions, loved dragging it out. And Lara couldn't help but love it, too.

"Yes," Lara answered obediently. Lara didn't hate tasting herself, but she wouldn't do it on her own. However, she knew that if she said yes, Sam would have to be inside her again. Even if it was briefly, Lara could hardly take it anymore. Sam grinned at her answer and quickly moved her hand back to her heated groin. Within a split second her finger was inside of her again, which nearly sent Lara over the edge, her thigh muscles tightening. Every single time Lara was surprised how quickly Sam could make her feel like this. Unfortunately for Lara, the finger was gone as quickly as it had entered her. Lara was so wet it didn't take more than a second to completely drench Sam's finger. Sam removed her hand from her panties once more and then held her finger above Lara's face.

"Open your mouth," Sam commanded, and Lara did so, eagerly awaiting her next move. Sam lowered her finger in her mouth and looked closely as Lara sucked it clean. Lara her mind was all over the place. The naughtiness of tasting herself, of being pinned down by Sam, and being so horny drove her insane. She wanted to cum so badly. Sweat had formed all over her body. Her breathing had gotten irregular and the air around them just screamed sex.

"I want more," Lara whispered. Lara couldn't wait for the next step. To get undressed and feel the heat of Sam her body against her own.

"Fuck off," Sam suddenly said, stepping away from the desk. Her face had gone blank as thunder on a clear day. Fury raged in her eyes once more.

"W-what?" Lara asked, dazed. She tried to get up from the table but Sam leaped forward again, grabbed her by her throat and pushed her back down. Lara landed back on the table with a thud. She instantly went in survival mode and was ready to take her assailant down, muscles tensed and neck hair raised. But she managed to keep her instinct at bay, kind of, at the last possible second. Partly because Sam's grip wasn't too strong, and she could still easily breath, and partly because she was scared out of her mind. Way more than when any Trinity soldier had made her. This was her best friend. Her girlfriend. Sam. Why is she doing this? Why did she become like this? "Sam. Stop, please." A tear ran over Lara her cheek and made a spot on one of the notes she was laying on. Her excitement and lust disappeared like snow for the sun. Horror had replaced it. Sam stared at her. The raging fury in her eyes seemed to grow and she tightened her grip around her throat.

"You're mine," Sam hissed, suddenly. And all Lara could do was look at her, terrified with big teary eyes. Sam moved her face close to Lara's again. But this time it wasn't hot, or sexy. This time it was horrifying. Lara's heart was still pounding in her chest, but now for a completely different reason. Lara's hands gripped the hand that surrounded her throat.. "Don't you ever forget that, Croft," Sam showed her teeth.

"Sam…," Lara couldn't really speak properly anymore. Her air supply dwindled, as Sam's grip continued to tighten. Lara was now ready to fight back. She could no longer hold back her instinct. Her survival mode. She kicked her heels against the desk ready to push up, but before she could do so, Sam let go. Lara reached for her sore throat and gasped for air. Tears ran over her face as Lara looked up at the ceiling. She didn't dare look at Sam. She couldn't take this anymore.

"I'm sorry," Sam said pragmatically. Lara didn't look at her. She listened as Sam left and close the door behind her. Lara lay still on the desk for quite a while, trying to hold back a panic attack, heaving for air. It took her a couple of minutes to calm down. After awhile, she got up and started cleaning up the scattered papers around the desk, tears running down her face, ruining quite a few of them. Just another day.


	2. Chapter 2

" _BA 1957 departing to Rome is ready to be boarded. Please proceed to Gate A5,"_ a female announcer called. The voice rose above all the buzzing from the large crowd of people at the airport. Lara was already at the gate. She'd been there for over two hours, actually. She wanted to make damn sure she didn't miss this flight. When she heard the announcement she jumped up straight away. She swung her backpack over her shoulder and made her way to the already formed queue in front of the boarding pass reader. Her trusty old backpack was the only thing she took. She had it since the first day of college. She bought it with the money she made working at the Nine Bells, which seemed like an eternity ago. It was a very good quality backpack, though, the years of heavy usage were starting to show its toll. The logo was torn off from when it had gotten stuck behind a tree branch in a forest in Northern Ireland. One of the two zipper pulls was broken off from when it had fallen off a cliff in the States. It even had a gunshot on the left side, which was sewed closed rather unprofessionally. The gunshot wasn't really an exciting story to tell. It was actually Sam who did it. Not on purpose mind you, though it was quite the shock. Lara was cleaning out her backpack when Sam had picked up her gun, and as she was admiring it she fired it accidentally and the bullet penetrated the backpack and the wooden table it was on. After both of them calmed down from the shock, Lara was flooded with about 5 million apologies before night fell. Lara smiled as she remembered Sam's puppy eyes, begging her for forgiveness. Back when she was still Sam. The backpack was filled up with clothes for three days and some necessities which a hotel doesn't provide, but that was it. She didn't really need anything more; she was only staying for three days. Unfortunately.

Lara held her boarding pass in front of the reader and with a beep, the little glass gate swung open. A guard nodded at her as she made her way to through the tube connecting to the plane.  
"Welcome aboard!" The usual overly enthusiastic crew greeted her at the plane's entrance. She looked at her boarding pass for the 86th time. Unsurprisingly, her seat hadn't changed since the first 85 times she looked. 12F. Window seat. She looked up to see if anyone was already sitting in the 12th row, but it was empty. She made her way to her seat and put her backpack in the overhead compartment. With a thud she sat down and took a deep breath, closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest. _Finally._ Sunday had took an eternity to come by, but it was finally here. At last she'd get out of the manor for a little bit. She could focus on something she liked again, without a constant threat of abuse, mentally _and_ physically. It was wonderful. She actually started to feel better already. Sam still didn't particularly agree with her going, but Lara managed to calm her down to the point where she wouldn't barricade the door. Or murder her or something. She'd deal with the aftermath after she'd return, though she really didn't want to think about that now. She distracted herself by looking at the people slowly filling up all the seats in the plane. It was always intriguing to watch other people. Each and every single individual with their own life story to tell. Their own experiences, and troubles. An older man greeted her as he took place on the aisle seat, leaving an empty chair in between them. Lara wondered who would be sitting next to her. Hopefully not someone with a small child who couldn't keep quiet. Or someone who smelled _really_ bad. Lara made a face, as she remembered an unpleasant previous experience. As the stream of people coming into the plane slowly came to a halt, Lara was delighted to see the seat next to her was still empty. More room for her, no smelling, or yelling children. But just as she wanted to pull up the arm rest dividing her seat and the empty one, a woman threw her bag in the overhead compartment above the 12th row. _Dammit._ The woman smiled at Lara as she sat down next to her. Lara smiled back. At least she didn't smell bad.

Lara was looking out the small window. She was hating herself for not packing anything to read. _Of course_ she couldn't sleep through the two and a half hour flight; she could barely sleep at home. She fiddled with the green pendant around her neck and looked at the watch she was wearing and immediately sighed. It had felt like she was in the air for half a day already, but only an hour had passed. 90 minutes to go, what a _drag_.

"You're Lara Croft, aren't you?" Lara looked up sheepishly. The woman next to her had spoken. She had almost forgotten there were other people on the plane.

"Uhm… yes," Lara smiled awkwardly. She shouldn't be surprised that she was recognized. After her story about what happened on Yamatai went viral with the press, she was in the tabloids for weeks. Discredited, going after her father, delusional, insane, crazy. All kinds of nice things.

"I'm Claire," the woman said and held out her hand. She was, Lara estimated, in her mid thirties. Her black hair was tied in a knot. She looked to be quite tall, as well, as Lara had to look up slightly to meet her eyes. Cautiously, she shook the woman her hand. She wasn't really sure what to think of this. "Nice to meet you. I've read some stories about you," she said and Lara half expected a laugh, or a chuckle. Or a grin, at the very least. But the woman just kept a straight, friendly face. "Quite interesting stories, I'll be honest," she added.

"Thank you?" Lara muttered, really unsure what to add to this conversation.

"Are you going to do anything fun in Rome?"

"I hope so," Lara said. She wasn't sure what she preferred. 90 minutes of staring out of the window, or having this conversation with a complete stranger. Probably the window, she thought. Luckily, the woman realised she was making Lara feel uncomfortable and cut the conversation short.

"Well, whatever you're doing, I do hope you have some fun. It's important to have some fun in your life, you know?" she said with a sincere voice. Lara nodded and the woman continued reading the magazine she was still holding. _Fun._ When was the last time she had any of that? She closed her eyes and her mind automatically switched to Sam. Of course it did. It _always_ did. She remembered meeting Sam for the first time. Her hair was different back then. It was cute. Sam used to take her camera everywhere. Literally _everywhere_ , she even slept with it under her pillow. A smile appeared on Lara's face as she leaned back against the uncomfortable plane seat. What a simple life it was back then. Then that smile quickly disappeared again when she realised what situation they were in now. She took another look at her watch. 82 minutes to go. _Fuck me._

Lara opened her eyes again, after falling asleep miraculously, and looked around. She blinked as it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She felt woozy. As if she had slept for a week straight. The plane was completely dark. It was dark out of the windows, and all the lights in the plane were turned off. Obviously, it was in the middle of the night and they turned off all the lights so people could sleep, Lara thought to herself. Lara closed her eyes again, hoping to sleep through the rest of the flight. Then she quickly opened her eyes again when she realised she was on a two and a half hour flight from London to Rome which left at 2PM on a sunny day. She quickly looked around and to her horror everyone was gone. She was completely alone. She looked out the window, but couldn't make out if they were still flying. It was pitch black outside. There were no stars, no clouds, no nothing. She quickly undid her seatbelt and wanted to get up, but was grabbed by an arm around her neck from someone in the chair behind her.

"I told you what would happen if you left me," a voice behind her whispered in her ear as she was violently pulled back into the chair. It was Sam's voice. Lara went into panic mode. Did she follow her? How did she get on the plane? Where was the plane now? Suddenly she felt the cold metal of a large knife press against her throat. She started struggling but she wasn't getting anywhere. Sam was too strong, her grip around her neck holding her tightly against the chair.

"Sam!" Lara screamed. "Stop, please! What are you doing?!" Lara wailed. She was trying everything to get away. Swinging her arms pointlessly behind her hoping to hit Sam, scratching her arm, pushing herself off from the chair front of her with all her might. Nothing helped. She was powerless. Sam directed the point of the knife against the beating artery in her neck. Lara wanted to scream once more, but the cold metal penetrated her skin and her artery. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. The touch of metal on flesh was ghastly and the warm blood pouring out, making a huge mess of her clothes sent chills and shivers down her spine. Instinctively, Lara pulled on Sam's wrist to stop her, but she couldn't manage to pull back her arm. Streams of blood ran from the knife over Sam's hands onto Lara's. It was everywhere. The metal blade continued to slice through her neck as it reached her windpipe, and slowly but surely crushed through that, too. The experience was so surreal, and Lara was so helpless that she stopped moving altogether, and her blood drenched hand lost grip on Sam's wrist. Then, after the knife had completely pierced through Lara's neck, she suddenly withdrew the knife and removed her hand. Blood gushed out of the wound over her clothes and through her windpipe into her lungs and stomach. She couldn't breath anymore. Her head hung forward but was then violently pushed backwards by Sam's hand on her forehead. Before she realised what happened, Sam took the knife and slit her throat from left to right in one fluid motion. As more blood came pouring out of Lara's neck, soaking her clothes even more, it started to get dark in front of her eyes. It started in the corners and then slowly moved its way to the middle of her sight. She was done for. She accepted her end as her hands and head hung downwards, defeated. The tears running over her face were mixing with blood. But, just before she lost consciousness a warm hand touched her arm. She managed to look to the left of her. She was looking in the eyes of the woman that had sat next to her.

"Sorry, but the seat belt sign went on, we're landing soon," she said softly and pointed to the overhead display. The sign had indeed switched on. In an almost violent manner, Lara grabbed for her own neck and, as much as was possible in the airplane chair, turned around. Her neck was fine. Her clothes weren't soaked with blood. She could still breath and the person behind her was a middle aged man looking grumpy at his iPad. With her eyes still wide open from shock she sat straight again. She was still holding her neck with both her hands. Oh my God, it was a dream. A fucking nightmare. "Bad dream?" the woman inquired, as if she could read her mind. Lara didn't respond, but was just breathing like she was just had just ran a marathon. Lara did her best to fight back tears, but she couldn't help her eyes getting watery. It had been months and months since she had a dream so vividly, and so hair-raisingly horrible.

"Ma'am?" a stewardess said and Lara quickly turned her head. "Could you please put on your seatbelt." Lara gawked at her, slowly lowering her hands from her neck. "We're beginning our descent," she added impatiently.

"Y-yes… Yes. Yes, sorry," Lara stammered as she clumsily fastened her seatbelt. Normally, Lara would enjoy looking at the small houses and cars getting bigger every second during a descend. Now she just gazed at the chair in front of her. What the hell just happened? That nightmare was way too vivid.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the woman asked. Lara clenched her jaw. Couldn't she just leave her alone? She turned her head to face the woman. She had a very professor-y look about her. She had a concerned expression on her face. The kind of look a professor would give you when handing back your exam paper with a large red F on it. Her clothes matched that appearance, as well. She was wearing a long black skirt, with a red businesslike button up shirt. Her glasses and knotted up hair completed the picture.

"Yes, I'm fine," Lara snapped at her, though she didn't mean to sound so pissed off. "Sorry, eh… Claire was it? Just a very bad dream," she added quickly and did her best to smile, though it probably looked half-assed.

"Yes, Claire," the concerned look went away, and made place for a gentle smile. "Quite vividly, I imagine?" Claire asked and Lara her face went red.

"Oh God, I made a fool of myself, didn't I?" Lara groaned, placing her face in her hands.

"Nothing of the sort," Claire reassured her, "you just look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not really. I've seen enough ghosts in my life to not be scared of them anymore." Lara remarked, but immediately regretted saying that. She sometimes forgets rarely anybody believes her stories.

"I can imagine," Claire said, to Lara her surprise. Her smile turned warmer. Lara felt kinda bad for snapping at her. "I must say, I'm quite impressed with how you handled the situation on your return from Yamatai," she continued, trying to shift the subject a little.

"What situation?" Lara asked, a little unsure, still reeling from her nightmare.

"Your father had some issues with, shall we say, convincing the world of the factual truth of his findings, correct?"

"Right," Lara concurred.

"So, after your father passed, instead of you claiming the family fortune and living out a life as a rather comfortable hermit, you set out on your own. Stepping in your father's shoes, so to say. And, more admirably, when you found out your dad was right all along, you didn't hide away. You didn't conceal your findings knowing what the world would think of you when you'd publish them. You did it anyway. And you did it well," Claire said firmly. Lara couldn't quite put a finger on her accent. It sounded British mostly, but there was a hint of something exotic.

"Uh…," Lara stuttered, not really knowing what to say to that. "Most tabloid readers don't really find me admirable. More like crazy and insane," Lara said and Claire laughed.

"Most tabloid readers are clueless," Claire said.

"Where else would you read about me?"

"Your own work, for starters."

"And you believe what I wrote?" Lara asked doubtfully.

"I was talking about the fact that I find the way you handled everything quite admirably."

"Way to dodge the question," Lara snorted, unsurprised.

"Whether or not someone would believe your stories or not shouldn't be the drive for you to do it. It's about doing the right thing. For yourself. Anyway, I hope I didn't creep you out. I like reading, and your stories are quite interesting, to say the least."

"No… No, you didn't creep me out. It's fine," Lara averted her eyes. Practically no one had believed her when she published her work. But why did that bother her so much? Why would she even care what other people thought? Why would she care what her so-called colleagues thought of her, her father or her family? This woman had a point. She followed her father's footsteps, but not only in the way of being an explorer. She looked out the small window next to her. Judging by the little houses and cars getting bigger, they were landing soon.

Even though the AC wasn't working on the hot summer day, Lara's mood changed for the better on the cab ride to the hotel. Lara had been in Rome countless of times, but she never stopped being excited whenever she'd go there. The history in this city was immense. The things to learn infinite. The places to visit endless. Pure, and unending joy. For the most part, anyway. When Lara had booked her hotel she had went for a somewhat cheaper option. Sam hated her for it. Sam always wanted to go to the Hilton, or any equivalent of an overpriced super-fancy hotel. One of those hotels where the waiters and waitresses were so efficient you couldn't even finish your drink before they refilled it again. Lara didn't mind the fanciness, though. What she did mind, however, was wasting family money. She grasped the fact it was hers now, but it always felt wrong to spend it on things she didn't really need. As if she was disrespecting her family somehow.

Though the hotel was cheap, it _was_ located near to the Colosseum. Lara had been there about a trillion times before, obviously, but visiting the Colosseum whenever she was in Rome had turned into some sort of tradition. This time it wouldn't be any different. When she arrived at the lobby there was a very young man at the reception. He looked rather uninterested in life, and made no effort to greet Lara when she reached him.  
"Hello," Lara said, as a drop of sweat rolled over her forehead. No AC in the lobby. Let's hope the room had one, but she was doubtful. When the boy looked up from his phone, she saw the young man was actually a _boy_. No way was he any older than 18. "I'm here to check in?"

"Nome?" The boy asked in Italian after immediately returning his gaze to his phone. A humming fan on the side pointed towards the boy. As Lara looked enviously at the fan, she gave her name and the boy handed her a key without saying anything else. She didn't really feel like asking him anymore, so she went on her way. Her room number, 416, indicated her room must be on the fourth floor. After finding the rather dodgy and unstable elevator and getting to the fourth floor, she managed to find her room. Opening the door revealed a simple and small room, which was hotter than the average oven, unfortunately. Lara desperately looked for an AC unit in the room, but gave up defeated after a few minutes. The bed was made and the room _looked_ clean, at least. She took a quick glance in the bathroom, but that didn't seem like it had been cleaned thoroughly. Shit. She should follow Sam's advice more and "spend some of that daddy money" sometimes, she thought. Oh well, no matter. She'd spend most of her time outside of this room, anyway. She fidgeted through her backpack and exchanged her cargo pants for a pair of beige capri pants. Then she put the rest of her clothes in the closet adjacent to the bed, flung the empty backpack over her shoulder and headed out. She glanced at her watch as she walked out the hotel. 7PM. Time for some dinner.

"Taxi!" She yelled as one drove by.

It was a very warm evening. Humid, too. But the food in the restaurant she picked out made up for that, it really was _that_ good. Then again, it'd be pretty hard to find a restaurant in Rome where the food was shit. It was almost 9:30PM when she finished her food and decided to head back to the hotel. Instead of getting a cab, she made the decision to walk back. Take in some of Rome while she was here. She knew Via Di San Gregorio, a street adjacent to the Colosseum, would lead to her hotel. Lara admired the view as she walked by the colossal structure. It was so beautiful, especially at night. The way they had illuminated the building was breathtaking, Lara thought, even though she had seen it so many times before. She stopped and leant against the fence that separated the sidewalk and the grass field towards the Colosseum. A few people walked passed her laughing and talking, but Lara didn't pay any attention to them. She was just leaning against the fence, admiring the ancient architecture, reliving memories of her own past. Her recent past, as well. She couldn't resist a smile as she remembered how, some years ago, Sam and her actually broke into the Colosseum at night. They had spent the evening, and most of the night in Rome getting more than a little tipsy, which was a rare occasion for Lara. It was Sam's idea, obviously, but Lara didn't protest for more than a minute. They had jumped over the fence, sneaked past one security guard and ran inside. They were surprised at the lack of security, but their little adventure was short lived. Another guard inside had spotted them and they ran away as fast as they could as tears ran over their cheeks from laughing.

"Oh, fuck," she yelped out loud as she suddenly remembered _Sam._ She hadn't even let her know she arrived safely. She quickly grabbed her phone and unlocked it. No texts from Sam. Was that good or bad news?

 _ **Lara:**_ _Hey honey, how're you? I arrived in Rome okay. Standing in front of the Colosseum right now. Remember that half-drunken night we broke in there? Love u x._

She stared at the screen for a minute before hitting the send button. When Sam didn't reply straight away, Lara figured she might be asleep already and decided to make her way back to the hotel.

Lara had hoped the hotel, specifically her room, had cooled down at least a bit. Disappointment flooded her when she nearly suffocated from the heat as she stepped into her room. She sighed, and went to brush her teeth. Then, she took of her clothes and flung herself onto the bed. The very, _very_ hard bed she painfully discovered. She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the next day. Hopefully, it would be a good one, because if it wasn't, she sure as hell wouldn't spend another night in this hotel, she thought to herself. She had started to doze off when her phone made a noise and vibrated on the nightstand. It was a text from Sam.

 _ **Sam:**_ _I'm fine. Did you forget sending me a text? Thought you landed at 4PM ish…?_

 _ **Lara:**_ _Yeah, sorry. I went to have dinner first… What are you doing?_

 _ **Sam:**_ _Don't change the subject. Why did you forget about me the moment you stepped into another country…?_

 _ **Lara:**_ _Sam… you know I didn't forget about you. I just didn't think of texting you. It was super hot and the hotel is pretty crappy._

Lara bit her lip, hoping the mention of the crappy hotel would be enough to change the subject. If it wasn't, she knew exactly where this was going.

 _ **Sam:**_ _Told you. Spend some money next time, cheapo._

Thank God.

 _ **Lara:**_ _Yeah, yeah. I know. You're right... What are you up to? I miss you._

 _ **Sam:**_ _I miss u2. I'm just laying in bed. Don't feel so well._

 _ **Lara:**_ _Why? What's up?_

 _ **Sam:**_ _Lonely._

 _ **Lara:**_ _I'm sorry, cutie... I'll be home in just a few days._

Lara wasn't _really_ sorry. Sam rarely wanted to be around her anymore and now, within 12 hours, she's lonely?

 _ **Sam:**_ _I guess_

 _ **Lara:**_ _We'll go somewhere? Some place sunny. When I get back._

Sam:

 _Can't I come to Rome?_

Lara's stomach twisted. "Oh, please don't take these 3 days away from me…," she begged out loud.

 _ **Lara:**_ _I thought you didn't want to come? As you said, mostly boring people talking about boring things…_

 _ **Sam:**_ _Ah, I get it. You don't want me there. Fair enough. Well I'm tired anyway. Goodnight._

 _ **Lara:**_ _That's not what I meant. You're welcome to come here, Sam. I just thought you didn't want to. We won't be able to do much anyway, as the congress lasts about 10 hours a day._

She lied. The congress didn't take 10 hours a day. She just really, _really_ didn't want Sam to come. Lara groaned as she rolled over on her side after she put her phone back on the nightstand. Sam was so unreadable. One moment she'd be totally fine, the next moment all hell breaks loose. Sometimes she was very affectionate and the next she'd be extremely distant. One moment she'd be the happiest person on earth, the next you'd had to avoid her to make sure you wouldn't be punched in the face. It was so tiring. Luckily, not much later, as Sam had once again consumed her thoughts, Lara managed to fall asleep.


End file.
